The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-09-17

SHE MOUNTED A CHAIR.
Well, the young woman-she looked
so at the outside-stood with folded
hands until u dead, surprised hush fell
over the assemblage, and then began
to'speak. In soft, girlish accents she
told how she had just heard of her
brother, who was out at the gold-field,
having fallen and broken one of his
legs, and that she mast and here she
clasped pair of slender hands pite-
ouSly-have money to get to him. She
was not there to beg, she added, but
was going to sing song for their en-
tertainment, and those who felt so dis
posed might give her whatever they
chose for her trouble.
The men were interested. They
were a rough lot, and it was novelty.
SO they hammered on the table with
thoir empty beer-mugs and called on
the young woman to begin. She
did SO, and sang two old English bal
lads in a rather pretty contraltO. The
performance was in no wise remarka-
BILE, but considerably above the grade
her present auditors were accustomed
to. She was applauded to the echo,
and when she had stopped, burly fell
low with a red flannel shirt and huge
boots carried round his sombrerO, and
pretty nearly everybody put something
in. The young woman, in voice
choked with emotion, thanked her
friends, and after farewell song
smiled good night and left the place
with go or $50 in her little cambria
handkerchief.
| could not get the woman out of my
head that night. Her great solemn
eyes haunted me, and in my dreams |
discovered all manner of reasons for
the hunted look in them-and method
of removing it and putting a perma-
nent one of peace and happiness
there instead also, l am ashamed
to say. We all four arose
early, and at o'clock that afternoon,
after an affectionate farewell to Spell
man and ALI, Fred and |, each astride
of a sturdy animal, set forth upon our
journey.
1t was growing dusk when, fifteen
miles out of the city, we sighted a soli-
tary equestrian ahead of us Pleased
at the prospect of company, we quick
ened our pace, and what was our as
constituent to discover, in the rather
ratty horseman whom we presently
drew alongside of, our tavern song
stress of the night before. She was
dressed in Il closely fitting suit of dark
grey, extremitied with pair of natty
riding-boots, and she must have no.
ticed the admiring chances bestowed
by my companion and myself on her
trim little figure, for she flushed deeply
as she saluted us. She evidently recog-
nized us.
"This is great relief to me, gentle.
men," she said, with a downward
droop of the white eyelids that set my
pulses going with abnormal rapidity,
"but you see l had to make the Journey
alone, and this" touching a trim little
boot with her light whip, twas the
only way in which l could do it will
safety. You will not betray me, will
youG"
"Betray you!" we both echoed
breathlessly, stupefed with admiration
of the little wOman's pluck, "We'n"-
but never mind what we said. w
swOre that she shouldn't know singl,
hardship on the journey, and the smil,
and hand-pressure we each got in re
turn more than repaid us for the sacri
fee we knew we were making.
1t is unnecessary to recount the dc
tails of the journey. At night the lit
tie woman slept on a bed of moss anC
leaves in our one tent, while we TolleC
ourselves in our blankets and slept un
der the stars, She got the tid-bits o
the provisions and thanked us between
every snap of her white teeth for wha
she termed our "heavenly kindness.
Fred and 1 never discussed her; sh
was rather tender point between us
but the way we We'd with eacl
other in the attentions we be
! slowed on her would have plainl